The Sanctuary of Saint Camillus de Lellis is located in Bucchianico (Chieti), right in the town center, a short distance from his birthplace and next to the convent he built.

Saint Camillus, one of the undisputed leading figures of spirituality in Abruzzo, founded the Order of Clerics Regular, Ministers to the Sick, and is the patron saint of the sick, hospitals, doctors, and healthcare workers.

The church, built in the first half of the 17th century, has a simple rectangular brick façade. The interior has a single nave with side chapels. To the left of the sumptuous main altar, made of carved and gilded wood, stands the statue of the Saint, while on the opposite side is the Chapel of the Relics, which houses Saint Camillus’s “foot,” his shoes, a bandage used to treat the wound on his foot, and a handwritten document. The sacristy is decorated with an interesting cycle of frescoes painted in 1690. 

From the upper church, you descend to the crypt, where precious stained-glass windows and mosaics, created by the Vatican school, surround the statue of the Saint, next to which the “Torch of Charity” burns, a gift from Pope John XXIII in June 1960. The statue is an extremely faithful reconstruction of Saint Camillus’s face, created based on the wax mask made before he was placed in the tomb. The urn also contains the relic of the precordia, the parts surrounding the heart. Nearby is a vial containing his coagulated blood. Adjacent to the crypt, in the underground level of the convent, visitors can see an exhibition dedicated to the Saint, displaying some relics, his clothes, bandages, and documents of rare historical value.

Not far from the sanctuary is the birthplace of Saint Camillus. A small chapel was built in 1712 in the stable where he was born; its walls display paintings depicting significant moments from his life. The adjoining room retains its original form, also providing a visual reminder of the poverty of the place where the Saint was born.

Discover the Sanctuary

Contacts and addresses
Piazza San Camillo de Lellis, 1
66011 Bucchianico (CH)
Tel: 0871 381 121
Fax: 0871 381 000

How to get there The Sanctuary

Discover Saint Camillus de Lellis

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